Gilliland, Ragan & Wise Return To Front Row

David Ragan will return to Front Row Motorsports for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. (HHP/Crista Thomas photo)

David Ragan will return to Front Row Motorsports for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. (HHP/Crista Thomas photo)

STATESVILLE, N.C. — Front Row Motorsports is aiming for its most competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season to date with drivers David Ragan, David Gilliland and Josh Wise.

Front Row Motorsports has extended longtime partnerships with Ford and Roush Yates Racing Engines and has brought back Gilliland for a fourth season and Ragan for a second. Wise joins the team full-time for the first time.

The 26-year-old Ragan will return to the cockpit of the No. 34 entry and the 36-year-old Gilliland will once again pilot the No. 38.

Wise will return to the No. 26 Ford for all 36 Sprint Cup races with sponsorship from MDS Transport after completing the 2012 season in a part-time capacity with Front Row. The team plans to increase the 29-year-old driver’s time on track in 2013 with a more competitive schedule of race entries.

Team owner Bob Jenkins sees how the stability of key partnerships helps the team improve each year.

“You often see a lot of young teams going through a lot of changes trying to make it in the Sprint Cup Series,” Jenkins said. “We’ve been fortunate that we’ve had a lot of stable partners, people who believe in our approach and are seeing year-to-year improvements as a result of that approach.

“David Gilliland has been a rock for us for three years and David Ragan brought race-winning experience to us last year and returns for 2013. That stability is huge for a young, developing team, and I know we’ll continue to improve and have even better results this upcoming season.”

Jay Guy will return as crew chief for Ragan’s No. 34 team and Derrick Finley will continue to lead Gilliland’s No. 38 crew.

“There’s always a learning curve whenever something new is thrown into the mix, whether it’s a new driver, new crew chief, new car or new team members,” Ragan said. “We have a new Ford Fusion for 2013, which I’m really excited about, so it will be really important and really helpful that all the other variables aren’t changing. My crew chief, Jay Guy, and I built a great working relationship last year and that will help us be better this coming year.”

“I’m excited to start my fourth year with Front Row Motorsports,” Gilliland said. “We’ve gotten better each and every season and I’m eager to get the season going with Derrick (Finley) again. Bob Jenkins has put a lot into this team since he started with a part-time team back in ’05. He’s growing it the way he should and the results are showing.”

SPEEDSPORT.com is America's Trusted Motorsports Authority. Since 1934, SPEED SPORT has been the destination for all things motorsports news...from NASCAR to Formula 1, Sprint Cars to Top Fuel dragsters, Supercross to Superbikes.